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Nina drank her own shot and poured theether

Afterward, Meredith sat back in her chair, pushing a hand through her perfectly s ”

“You will Hey, how do yousoneat all the ti boxes all day, but you still look ready for lunch at the club How does that happen?”

“Only you cannice sound like an insult ”

“It wasn’t an insult Honestly I just wonder how you stay soI don’t know Forget it ”

“There’s a wall aroundherself another shot

“Yeah Like a force field Nothing reaches your hair ” Nina laughed at that She was still laughing when Meredith drank her third shot, but when her sister gulped it down and glanced sideways, Nina saw so She didn’t knohat it was, a look in Meredith’s eyes, maybe, or the way her mouth kind of flitted doard

“Is so?” Nina asked

Meredith blinked slowly “You mean besides the fact thatcrazy, one tonight?”

Nina kneasn’t funny, but she couldn’t help laughing “Yeah, besides that And anyway, you know your life rocks You’re one of those wonder woht That’s why Dad always counted on you ”

“Yeah I guess,” Meredith said

“It’s true,” Nina said with a sigh, thinking suddenly about her dad again, and how she’d let hi it would last, this sudden bobbing up of her grief Would it ever just sube?

“You can do everything right,” Meredith said quietly, “and still end up in the wrong And alone ”

“I should have called Dad more from Africa,” Nina said “I kne ht there was time”

“Sometimes the door just slams shut, you know? And you’re all by yourself ”